Chapter 10 - Promise

(A/N: okay... here's the fluffy chappie I promised. hope you enjoy it, and as always, REVIEW)

Meg did not leave her room for three days, and Erik made no effort to attempt to draw her out. Still, he found himself inadvertently glancing down the hall to see if her door was still shut, or pausing outside her door for no reason. It was becoming a maddening tendency; every time he would do it he would stop himself and remind himself that he didn't care.

Or did he?

He found himself wondering that often over the three day period.

Did he- the monster that he was- did he possibly care about another human being?

No.

Yes.

Not in the sense of love, he thought- Christine was the one- the only- thing he would ever love in this world- but perhaps as just someone who could be there, to comfort him in his sorrow. He pondered this as he sat at the pipe organ, surrounded by his black mourning candles. It was probably true, he admitted to himself. Whether the offspring of his twisted desperation at the prospect of being lonely or a genuine feeling, he found himself thinking how he didn't mind having Meg around. She may not be Christine, he thought, but she was another living, breathing person, and not a creation of his mind or a figment of his imagination. Of course, he thought, after what he had done Meg would probably never want to see him again. Or hear him, for that matter. But there was something about Meg- she pushed him over the edge, and yet, he wasn't as angry as he knew he should be. She was so different from Christine- who had been submissive and passive. But Meg- Meg wasn't afraid to fight back. Meg had a will to live; a life that existed far above the confines of his black reality. He envied the spark of life that lived inside of her. The voices had been right, he realized. He wanted Meg to stay. The feeling slowly began to eat away at him, like an ocean gently eroding a beach, until his hostile exterior had been- if not permanently damaged- temporarily dented. It was a difficult emotion to explain, he thought to himself as he let his mind guide his fingers over the organ keys. He wasn't sure where these feelings would lead him; he was almost afraid to find out.

On the third evening, Erik found himself seated at the organ, playing a soft, sad song he had written earlier. His eyes were closed as his body swayed back and forth to the rhythm of the music. As he played the final chords and let himself emerge slowly from his trance-like state, he sensed another presence beside him. The petite blonde dancer was standing next to him, with tears in her eyes. She looked so forlorn that he forgot to be cruel.

"What is it, Meg?" he asked, looking slightly concerned.

In the smallest of voices, she said, "I miss Maman... so much..." Her lower lip trembled, and her hands shook. A solitary sob was wrenched from inside of her as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

Once the tears started, they didn't stop.

Meg collapsed next to the organ, resting her head on the side of it- the polished mahogany wood feeling cool on her skin. Her shoulder shook as she tried to suppress her anguished cries.

Erik hesitated, then knelt down beside her. He noticed how she watched his movements, wide-eyed and fearful.

"Don't cry, Meg," he whispered, suddenly feeling pity for her. He reached out his hand to her, as he had done a few days before. This time, however, Meg did not pull away from his touch, and he let his fingers brush lightly over her flawless skin. Then, unexpectedly, Meg covered his hand with hers, and brought it to her cheek. Erik felt her tears beneath her palm, and brushed the new ones away with his fingertips. She met his eyes with unspeakable sadness. "I- I just w-want to go h-home," she whispered.

A wave of compassion washed over Erik; an emotion he hadn't been sure he could feel anymore. Maybe it was the feeling of his hand on her face, or the way she was letting him comfort her, that made Erik feel that he wanted to promise her anything. His heart spoke for him as he said, "I'll get you out of here, Meg."

Her eyes widened, and she gazed at him questioningly.

"I swear I will," he went on. "You'll see you mother again- I swear it."

"You- you really will?" she breathed, hardly daring to believe.

"Yes."

Meg let her eyes close for a moment, thinking of her home, and her mother, and of Erik's promise. Erik was a total enigma to her now. He had been so cruel and wicked to her three days ago, and now, when she needed someone to comfort her... here he was. Maybe, she thought, maybe if she reached out to him now... maybe she could break the walls around him.

When she opened her eyes, Meg did something that Erik wasn't at all prepared for. She shifted forward, putting her arms around him and burying her face in his shirt. Erik was fully taken aback by this; he found himself afraid and unsure of what to do. Timidly, he closed his arms around her small form.

A strange thing happened to Meg when he did this. She felt suddenly like she was already home- safe and warm, no longer in the dark or afraid. The feeling startled her, but she didn't want to lose it. She closed her eyes and let Erik hold her.

The moments slowly passed by; Erik wasn't sure how much time had gone by when he felt Meg stop moving, having fallen asleep in his arms. He looked down at her with a subdued sense of wonder. She had been so afraid of him, and now here she was... letting him hold her like...

Like someone who cares for her would, his mind filled in.

Suddenly, Erik cared.

He cared very much.

Meg had broken his defenses, his resistance to all other human life. He had tried to push her away, but it had all been in vain. In that one moment, he knew.

He shifted slightly so that he could pick her up, cradling her gently against him, and carrying her to her room. He laid her on the bed gently, pulling the black velvet comforter around her. Meg yawned peacefully in her sleep, and Erik tried to stifle the smile that was threatening to appear on his face. He brushed a few strands of blonde hair out of her face, standing over her for another moment before turning to leave.

He thought of Meg until the candles burned low. Lying on his back in his coffin, he thought about how awful he had been to her, and how she would probably never think of him as anything but a monster.

That night his dreams were filled with pictures of Meg, running from him fearfully, and begging him to make the voice stop tormenting her. He woke up, cringing with shame. Why had he done those things? He asked himself furiously. It was the voices, he thought angrily. They had put thoughts in his head... they made him lose his temper, and he hated himself because of it. Erik's thoughts were conflicted as he lie there, mulling over his predicament. He couldn't deny the fact that he was starting to have some feelings- that he wasn't sure he could define- for Meg, but felt like he was betraying Christine- the one he had sworn would be his only love.

No, he thought firmly. Meg could never be anything more to him than a friend. Christine still held his heart- she would have it forever.

But he couldn't help wondering what would happen if things could be different...

see... i told you things would get fluffy.

i understand that this sudden "truce" might seem a little out of character, considering what has happened thus far, but they're starting to warm up to each other... :) Review and tell me if you like...!